The impact of dynamic capabilities on shipping port performance: a serial-mediation of sustainability practices based on dynamic capability view

Abstract This study empirically examines the serial-mediating effect of sustainability practices (SP) and competitive advantage (CA) on the relationship between dynamic capabilities (DC) and port performance in a dynamic market underpinned by the theoretical foundations of the Dynamic Capability View (DCV) theory, with specific reference to the shipping port industry in India, which has been lagging in terms of competitiveness compared with competitors in other regions. Specifically, this study addresses two questions. Firstly, the study investigates how DC assists in gaining and sustaining CA and enhances port performance in a highly dynamic port sector. Secondly, it investigates the serial-mediating role of those SPs adopted in the port and the CA of the port on the relationship between DCs and performance underpinned by the theoretical foundations of the DCV theory that have received less attention and have not yet been empirically tested. The multi-variate framework was empirically tested with 272 port employees as samples working in various ports using the partial least square approach-based structural equation model technique using SmartPLS 4. The empirically validated instrument met the required guidelines of model fitness, reliability, and construct validity. It was found to be a confirmed model establishing the multi-variate relationship among the constructs of interest that enhance the performance of shipping ports in the dynamic market. The essential contribution is the empirically validated framework to objectively assess the shipping port performance, which will be helpful as a guide for academic researchers, strategic policymakers, and industry professionals and practitioners working towards port performance enhancement in the dynamic shipping industry.